Toy shackles

ABSTRACT

A pair of U-shaped spring bands pivoted together with a longitudinal pivot and connected by a chain along one side. The spring bands engage the crossed wrists of the user causing him to use his hands oppositely from normal when performing such things as bouncing and catching a ball, catching a ballon, lacing and tieing shoes, writing names, folding and ripping paper, threading needles, and the like.

United States Patent Hill [54] TOY SHACKLES [72] Inventor: Marion R. Hill, 2621 Athens Court,

Sacramento, Calif. 95626 22 Filed: July 28, 1910 211 App]. 190.; 58,769

52 us. Cl. ..46/l R, 35/29 E 511 int. Cl. ..A63h 33/00 581 Field of Search ..46/l R; 272/1 R; 35/29 E [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,423,371 l/l969 Foley ..46/l R 0 [l5] 3,656,257 Apr. 18,1972

2,860,424 10/1958 McKinnon ..35/29E 2,871,914 2/1959 Timoney ..35/29E Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney-Alexander B. Blair ABSTRACT A pair of U-shaped spring bands pivoted together with a longitudinal pivot and connected by a chain along one side. The spring bands engage the crossed wrists of the user causing him to use his hands oppositely from normal when performing such things as bouncing and catching a ball, catching a ballon, lacing and tieing shoes, writing names, folding and ripping paper, threading needles, and the like.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATEfiTEDAPR 18 m2 3, 656. 257

INVENTOR. f7 6 4 MAR/0N H ///L L BY Mama Arm/2mm TOY SHACKLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown attached to the wrists of a user;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral indicates generally toy shackles constructed in accordance with the invention.

The toy shackles 10 include a generally U-shaped spring band 11 and an identical generally U-shaped spring band 12. The spring band 11 has a pair of arcuate side walls 13, 14 connected by a generally flat bight 15. The side wall 13 has an outwardly flared extension 16 and the side wall 14 has an outwardly flared extension 17. The band 12 is identical to the Llc band 11 and the bight 15 thereof is engaged with the bight 15 of the band 11 with the bights 15 secured together by a pivot pin 18 extending longitudinally therethrough.

A light chain 19 extends from the side wall 14 of the band 11 to the side wall 14 of the band 12 and is secured thereto by a cotterkey 20 at each end extending through the side wall 14.

In the use and operation of the invention the band 11 is slipped over one wrist of the user and the band 12 is slipped over the other wrist of the user with the wrists in crossed position (as illustrated in FIG. 1). In this position humorous efforts are made to perform normal activities while retaining the toy shackles in place. Some of these activities would include bouncing and catching a ball, catching a ballon, lacing and tie ing shoes, writing, folding and ripping paper, threading needles, unscrewing a fruit jar lid, and many other activities devised by the users.

Obviously the arms and hands are in affect upside down fac ing outwards so that each of the activities requires the participant to act contrary to the norm in order to accomplish the activity.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Toy shackles comprising a pair of generally U-shaped spring bands for engagement over the crossed wrists of the user, each of said U-shaped spring bands including a pair of arcuate side walls arranged in spaced apart confronting relation and a relatively flat bight integrally connecting said side walls at one end thereof, a pivot pin extending centrally through the bight of said band to pivotally secure said bands together, with said bands having relative motion with respect to each other only about said pivot pin, and flexible means connected at its opposite ends to one side wall of each of said bands at a point thereon remote from said bight to limit the pivotal movement of said bands about said piv pt p in. 

1. Toy shackles comprising a pair of generaLly U-shaped spring bands for engagement over the crossed wrists of the user, each of said U-shaped spring bands including a pair of arcuate side walls arranged in spaced apart confronting relation and a relatively flat bight integrally connecting said side walls at one end thereof, a pivot pin extending centrally through the bight of said band to pivotally secure said bands together, with said bands having relative motion with respect to each other only about said pivot pin, and flexible means connected at its opposite ends to one side wall of each of said bands at a point thereon remote from said bight to limit the pivotal movement of said bands about said pivot pin. 